Unbalanced Scales
by Nemorian
Summary: Five undercover knights, one big smuggling operation, and the convict that could crush either group on a whim. When events are left in the hands of a psychopathic Dunmer, there's no telling what will happen...
1. Face of a Killer

An Imperial knight stared at the file in her hands disbelievingly. "Neros Drathal. Twenty counts of murder, half of them Hlaalu guards. Thirty-eight counts of assault, resisting arrest, over fifty-thousand gold in stolen property... and you're telling me a man like this wasn't executed on the spot?"

"The captain wanted him alive. He gave us a lot of information in exchange for his life; we managed to stop a couple groups of outlaws that were doing more damage than him, Mara." The other knight in the room said calmly.

"A couple groups doing more damage... I know how much two groups can do. It might be more, but just barely... we're talking about one man that did all this, Radd!" Mara said, waving the file at the guard's face.

"One very... scary man. I was assigned to prison guard duty when they first brought him in. You know how most people we bring in tend to be either very vocal, or very quiet?"

Mara nodded, recalling many occasions when the prisoners were either screaming their innocence, revenge, or resigning themselves to their fate and walking along in silence. "Yes, which was he? Probably the one shouting for vengeance."

Radd shook his head. "He was about the same then as he is now. You'll understand when you see him." He added, noticing Mara's questioning look.

"I still don't approve of letting someone like this out. Even if it is under guard."

A knock on the door interrupted him. "You two aren't doing anything inappropriate in there, are you?" Came an amused voice.

Mara turned and pulled open the door. "Mind still stuck in the sewers, Lance?"

"Only when it comes to you." Lance smirked. "The captain's looking for us, it's about the mission. Shall we?" He offered his hand.

She ignored him. "See you later, Radd." Said as she pushed her way past Lance.

The meeting room was mostly empty, compared to how many soldiers usually gathered in it at a time. The captain was in the front, as usual, but there were only five others apart from him. Mara glanced around at the other four. Lance Murdin was sitting next to her, of course. Jake Endira, an Imperial she almost never got along with, was on her other side. Val, a Nord, was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for the captain to speak. The fourth was a Breton spellsword and good friend of Mara's, Orland Sires.

"Today is the day." The Captain said at last. "You five have been chosen to guard one Neros Drathal."

"Guard him? The fetcher murdered countless people, what danger would he be in?" Val interrupted. She had talent, but manners and the chain of command was something she never paid much mind to.

The Captain took it in stride; he was too used to it by now. "Perhaps I should be more clear. You are to guard the rest of Morrowind from him for the duration of this mission. I will go over the details once... ah, here he is."

The door creaked open and a Dunmer in faintly glowing iron bracers walked in, along with four guards. "Captain." The Dunmer said calmly with a slight bow. "What a pleasure to see you again. I thank you for sending such a fine assortment of soldiers to fetch me, but it was hardly necessary. I doubt I could do much damage in the heart of Fort Moonmoth, nor would I try."

"No sense in taking any chances, Neros. Have a seat and we can talk about the plan." The Captain replied coldly, gesturing to the chair against the wall near him.

Neros nodded, walking over and sitting down. Two of the guards took positions on each side of him, and the others stood by the door. "Such precautions are not needed. You are planning to let me out anyway, are you not? Why would I risk an escape now?"

The Captain ignored him. "As you all may know, a group of outlaws has been causing troubles across Vvardenfell. We have been able to gather some information about them, and learned the name of their leader and the location of one of their hideouts."

"Why exactly does that mean we have to take him along? We should just go in and slaughter the lot of them." Jake said, glancing at Neros.

"That would get us nowhere fast. These bandits... they're not normal. It's almost impossible to catch one of them alive, and the leader is who we need. It's unlikely he'll be in the hideout we know about, and we need to capture someone to interrogate. That's where Neros comes in. He used to lead the group, if anyone has a chance to infiltrate the group, it's him."

"Won't they get suspicious about him turning up while he's supposed to be in prison for life?" Orland asked.

"That's why we're going to stage a breakout. Make it look like Neros escaped, and after a day or two he'll turn up at the hideout in question."

"What about us? How are we supposed to watch him then?" Lance wondered.

"You will be disguised as outlaws as well. I've been working on a background for each one of you, and you'll have to rehearse them well in the next couple of days before we stage the escape. Hopefully they'll be enough to fool the people at the hideout long enough for you to get the information about where their leader is."

"If you don't mind my asking, Captain." Neros spoke up. "What exactly is in this for me?"

The Captain glared at him, but kept his tone even as he spoke. "You sentence will not be reduced, but your rations will be a bit more..."

"Edible? The slop you've been feeding me now isn't exactly enjoyable. Of course, if that's the only perk to helping you out... maybe I won't."

"There's one more thing."

"Oh?"

"The name of the new leader is Sethes Redrin."

Neros looked up at him, staring disbelievingly for a moment. "Sethes..." He grinned, shaking his head and laughing. "Ah, dear Captain. We've been spending too much time together; you know my weak spots all too well. It's a deal."

"Good. I'll give everyone their backgrounds later; I have a couple finishing touches to make on them first. Dismissed."

Two days later the fabricated breakout occurred. The event went smoothly, all things considered. Neros played his part well; the Captain and half the garrison expected him to kill someone, accidentally or otherwise. Orland and Val, playing the role of other escaped prisoners, ran off with him as well. Lance was supposed to meet up with them along the path, while Mara and Jake waited in a cave they had planned to use as an HQ during the mission.

Mara tapped her foot impatiently, leaning back in her chair. She and Jake were still waiting, and the group was almost a day late. She voiced her concerns, but Jake didn't seem that worried, pointing out that things could be delayed or go wrong easily in a job like this. That just made her feel worse.

The door to the cavern creaked open and a gray-haired Breton hurried inside, a blight storm raging furiously outside. "Well, that was unpleasant." Orland grumbled. "I'm getting too old for this kind of crap."

Mara stood up, about to ask him where everyone else was, when they all came inside, Neros leading the way. "Ah... nothing like a good walk through a blight storm to get the blood pumping." He said brightly, clapping his hands together. "One of life's little pleasures you don't get in a dinky little cell."

"I'd hardly call THAT pleasurable." Lance snapped, pointing the direction of the door with his bloody spear.

"It's an excellent way to train yourself. I used to do it all the time. Go out into a cave in the middle of nowhere, wait for a storm so bad you can't see more than a foot away, and then walk outside. The cliff racers still being able to somehow find you gives it a sense of suspense, you never know what direction they're going to come from. Good for honing your reflexes and hearing, if you can pick out the sound of their wings and screeching through the howling wind." Neros explained.

"You're crazy... but that's obvious just by looking at you." Val said calmly, watching him closely with her axe resting on her shoulder.

"Why, thank you. I do my best to have the outside reflect what lies within." He replied with a smile.

"You should all get some rest. We're going to the first hideout of Neros' little friends tomorrow." Mara said, locking the door to the cave.

"Ah, so soon? How exciting. Though the journey here was a bit tiring, there wasn't much exercise room in those Moonmoth cells so I fear I'm not quite as fit as I once was. Would one of you mind pointing me to my bed?"

"Follow me." Jake said, leading him into one of the back rooms. The others followed closely, not trusting Neros for a second. They soon came to a room with five bedrolls laid out, but Jake led Neros past those and over to a barred door just beyond them. "Here it is." He said, opening the door and gesturing into the small room.

Inside was a bedroll, small basket of food, a couple flasks of water, and a bucket in the far corner. "Well, this is familiar. Did you set this up so I wouldn't be homesick for my cell? How thoughtful." Neros said brightly, walking into the room and sitting down on the bedroll. Jake locked the door behind Neros, pocketing the key.

"Why do I have the feeling this mission is going to be one of the worst I've ever had?" Orland asked, taking off his boots.

"I think we all feel like that." Mara mumbled, already laying down on her bedroll with her eyes closed. Now that Neros was safely locked up and the others were with her, she wasn't feeling that worried.

"If you're feeling nervous, Mara, I could-" Lance began, but she quickly cut him off.

"Get your mind out of the damn sewers and go to sleep."

"No fun at all." Lance sighed.

Everyone settled down onto their bedrolls and began drifting off to sleep; the last thing they heard was Neros' cheery voice from beyond the locked cell door. "Goodnight!"


	2. First Stop

The group trudged through the foyada, Val and Jake watching Neros closely since he was now armed with a shortsword against almost everyone's better judgement. Neros pointed out how suspicious it would be if he turned up at the base unarmed. He was supposed to be "the leader of this cheery little entourage" as he had put it. Orland had agreed with him, and helped convince the others it was the best idea to keep up appearences.

"This should be it." Lance pointed out as a rickety wooden door came into view, leading into one of the mountainsides.

"Here already? What fun!" Neros said brightly, heading over to the door. He stopped less than a foot away from it, glancing over his shoulder. "Now remember your roles, everyone. We must not be found out so soon."

Mara glared at his back as he passed through the doorway. Like they needed reminding of what they were supposed to do. There was a shout and crash from just inside, and the group dashed in to find Neros sitting on a terrified looking Bosmer.

Neros held the dagger he took from the Bosmer loosely in two fingers, the point threatening to stab the Bosmer in the face should Neros drop it. "Now then, if you're done trying to kill me I have a little question for you. Who's in charge around here?"

"T... Tobias... he's..." The Bosmer stuttered.

"Ah yes, Tobias. What good fortune. Would you be kind enough to fetch him for me?" Neros asked, grinning.

"O...okay..."

"Good." Neros stood up, releasing the Bosmer. "Tell him his old friend Neros would like to speak with him. That will get his attention."

Mara watched as the Bosmer sprinted deeper into the cave, waiting to speak until his footsteps had faded. "Who's Tobias?"

"One of my old friends. He was one of five I thought I could trust more than anyone. Unfortunately, another of those five was Sethes. Proof my judgement is flawed at times," He glanced back at Mara. "so keep your guard up. I can't have you all die on me so soon."

"I don't intend to die in a place like this." She replied shortly, glaring at him.

He just smiled. "And I never intended to end up in jail, but intentions mean little in the long run. Determination, skill and luck are what matter. You'd do well to remember that, lest you learn it the hard way as I did."

Footsteps from deeper in the cavern caught their attention. A Redguard came into view with the Bosmer Neros had pinned walking slowly behind him. "Well I'll be damned... the little fetcher was right." The Redguard muttered to himself.

"Tobias, how have you been?"

"As well as you would expect. I didn't expect to see you this soon, Neros. I heard you broke out of jail a few days ago, but thought it would take longer for you to locate us again. I guess prison didn't hurt your information gathering skills." He glanced at the group around Neros, smirking. "I am surprised to find you working with others, though."

"Ah, yes. Allow me to introduce you. Orland and Val here were being kept in prison as well." Neros gestured to each person as he spoke their name. "Val was the one that broke out first, and released others so she would have a better chance against the guards. The three of us escaped together, and met up with Lance. After a brief... altercation... he brought me to meet Jake and Mara."

"Yes, well, we can go over a more detailed explaination later. For now, we should get you set up here. He'll show you where to go." Tobias nodded to the Bosmer and started to walk away. "There are other things to attend to, at the moment."

Neros chuckled. "Of course. No doubt Sethes will be interested in hearing of my arrival."

Tobias stopped mid-step. "You already know Sethes has taken over?"

"Of course. As you said, my information gathering skills have not declined. Besides, who better to take my place than my right-hand man?"

"Heh... you've got a point." He muttered, continuing on his way. "I'd like to talk with you alone later, if you don't mind."

"I'm looking forward to it."

The Bosmer led them to a room deep into the cave that acted as the bedroom for a bulk of the smugglers, judging by the amount of bunk beds it held. He apologized, more to Neros than anyone, that they didn't have better accomidations to offer.

Once the Bosmer left, Neros leaned against the wall and looked at Jake. "What's the plan then, leader?"

"Our orders are clear, I believe. We are to gather information, stop this organization and eliminate Sethes." He said calmly, sitting down on one of the beds.

Lance scoffed. "Stop the whole thing? Easier said than done."

"Waste Sethes and the rest will fall." Val muttered, examining the blade of her axe.

"Logic is not a strong trait in Nords, is it?" Orland asked. Val glared at him, but said nothing. "Neros here was taken to prison and Sethes took over. If we only kill Sethes, someone will just take his place."

"So... we slaughter all of them?" Val asked.

Orland sighed, shaking his head. "Forget it." He mumbled. Trying to get Val to understand anything beyond tearing people to shreds was a waste of time, in his opinion.

"Not a bad idea, if you ask me." Mara commented. "If we kill all the higher-ups, it might crumble... or at least be weakened enough for the Legion to wipe out whatever's left."

"It'd be a start." Lance said, turning to Neros. "Those five people you mentioned, who are they?"

"You really expect me to tell you the names of my old friends so you can execute them?" Neros wondered, grinning.

"Well... when you put it like that-"

"Sethes, obviously. Tobias as well. Along with Miles, Raven and Fjorn. They're all excellent in their chosen fields, but nothing I can't handle. Maybe you should all head back and leave things to me."

"Not a chance in hell." Mara said shortly.

"It was worth suggesting." He grinned, heading toward the door. "I'm going to have a look around for now, who's going to join me?"

"Aren't we supposed to stay here?" Lance asked.

"The Bosmer said we were free to explore." Jake reminded him. "Weren't you listening?"

"That guy was stuttering so badly I couldn't understand half of what he said."  
"I'll go with Neros." Orland volunteered.

"Good, good. Come along then." Neros said as he hurried out of the room.

The others watched Neros and Orland depart, but soon returned to their conversation about how to deal with Sethes and his subordinates once it was quiet outside.

"You know, it seems like you're the only one that trusts me in there." Neros said as they walked down the tunnel. "Everyone else gives me suspicious looks and talks behind my back... I'm quite flattered."

"Don't be, I don't trust you in the least. I'm pretty sure you won't turn on us yet though. You hate Sethes more than anyone, I'm sure. Working together with us is probably your best option to take him down. Of course, after he's dealt with... I don't doubt you'll come after the rest of us." Orland looked sideways at him. "Isn't that right?"

Neros smiled. "Well, you certainly know your outlaws. You must have a lot of experience with the Legion to have figured out how I'm going to play things.Well done."

Orland glared at him. "So you admit that's your plan, just like that?"

"Of course. If I try to deny it, you'll just be more certain of it. If I admit it, there'll be doubt about my actions. I'll tell you what, how about when I finally do go on my killing spree, I leave you alive." He grinned. "You're the most pleasant of the bunch."

"If you left anyone alive, I'd rather it was Mara. She's still pretty, and has the most potental as a knight." Orland said simply. "Perhaps it's just age, but I feel I'm losing my edge for these... Neros, what is it?"

Neros had turned away, chuckling about something. "I assume you meant to say that Mara is still pretty _young_, Orland?"

"That is what I said... what are you talking about?" He asked, wondering if Neros was trying to confuse him.

"Nothing at all." He replied, smirking.

"Neros, what-"

"Excuse me!" The Bosmer that had shown them in earlier came running up to Neros, panting as he slowed to a stop. "Master Tobias... would like to... meet with you." He said between heavy breaths.

"Ah, perfect. I have a lot to discuss with him. Sorry, Orland, but we can finish our little talk later. I don't want to keep him waiting." Neros said as he hurried off, the Bosmer trailing behind.

Orland shook his head, turning around and heading back to where he left the others. He was a few steps from the door when it hit him; maybe Neros wasn't planning to wait. Maybe he was planning to tell Tobias everything, have them killed, and try getting to Sethes that way. Would he really risk going it alone? Considering how much of a liability certain others might be, it seemed like a good possibility.

Looks like things could be getting even more complicated...


	3. Fatal Mistake

"Tobias, my old friend. It's nice we have this chance to talk again." Neros said happily as he sat down in the chair across from Tobias. They were at a small table that held two glasses, various bottles of alcohol and a basket of bread. "How goes the smuggling business since my unexpected departure?"

"The same. Imports, exports, stolen ebony and gems, occasional raids. Sethes has done a decent job of keeping things regular." Tobias said, picking up a bottle of Cyrodillic Brandy and pouring it into one of the glasses. "But that's not why I asked you in here."

"You want to know about my daring escape from Fort Moonmoth?" Neros asked.

"Yes... it's rather unexpected that you managed to escape." Tobias said, offering him the bottle of brandy.

Neros shook his head, taking a bottle of Flin off the table and pouring it into the empty glass. "As I told you, it was Val, the Nord, that broke out first. She was causing quite a stir, having gotten ahold of a weapon. She broke a lot of people out, but only she, Orland and myself were able to escape."

"I see." Tobias muttered, watching his movements closely. "What exactly were they in for?"

"Val murdered a couple people, and Orland was like us, a head smuggler. His operation was smaller, of course. He's the one that took me to meet with Mara and Jake, they were the only members of his group that weren't killed or imprisoned." Neros said, taking a sip of his flin. "And Lance, well, he's a simple bandit. Actually, he's simple in many respects. He chose to try robbing three people walking down the road and we convinced him to come along. At Orland's request that Val and I not kill him then and there, of course."

"Hmm..." Tobias mulled it over, taking a drink. "Is that right?"

"Oh, yes." Neros down the rest of his flin, setting the glass down on the table and taking a loaf of bread. "At least, that's what the story the Captain fabricated is."

Tobias raised an eyebrow. "It's a lie?"

"Very much so." Neros said calmly, taking a bite out of the loaf. "Mmm... it's so nice to have soft bread again. My prison food was quite unfavorable. The promise of making it more edible was one of the rewards for betraying you all."

Tobias took a deep breath, visibly relaxing. "So you're not planning to turn on us?"

"It's a rare occasion when I call someone a friend, but when I do, I make it a point never to turn on them unless given a very good reason." He said with a smile, before taking another bite of bread.

"Good to hear. So... those five with you?"

"Imperial Knights. I'll tell you what I know about them, and we can take things from there."

--

"Neros is talking to Tobias alone? That could be a problem." Jake muttered, thinking.

"COULD be?! He'll give us away without a second thought!" Mara yelled, slamming her fists on the table.

"I'm inclined to agree with Mara. We're a probably liability, in his eyes. Some of us more than others." Orland glanced at Val and Lance.

"At least I'm not halfway to senile, you old fool!" Lance snapped "You're the one that let him go off on his own!"

"We should slaughter them all before they can come after us." Val suggested, hoisting her axe onto her shoulder.

"Don't be so rash. There's no proof Neros has turned on us yet." Jake pointed out. "We should wait and see."

"And die when they all come in to kill us! I'm not going to sit around waiting to see if he's put a knife in our backs." Mara said, storming out of the room.

"That's not good... when Mara's like that, there's no stopping her." Lance said, getting up.

"I'll go after her." Orland sighed, heading out the door.

Jake looked over the others, considering their options. If Neros did decide to betray them, they should be ready. "All right, everyone. Gather your things and come with me. We have to be prepared for the worst."

--

Mara hurried through the smuggler's cavern, getting lost in the tunnels a couple times before finally asking someone she was passing directions to Tobias' quarters. She followed an empty tunnel, turning down a branching one that stopped shortly at a door. Making sure nobody else was around, she pressed her ear against it to listen.

Neros' cold voice came from the other side. "Yes, the Imperial Knights planned to use me to find and kill Sethes. A good plan, really... don't you agree?"

Mara didn't wait to hear the response, she unsheathed her sword and kicked in the door. "Neros, you-!" She stopped suddenly, taking in the sight before her. Tobias was pinned against a blood-streaked wall, a sword sticking out of his gut. Neros was sitting on a chair in front of him, twirling a throwing knife between his fingers.

"Hello, Mara." Neros said, smiling at her. "I'd like to keep interruptions to a minimum, so..." he raised the knife, throwing it at her before she could realize what had happened.

--

Orland walked through the caverns, coming to the path where Tobias' room was with little trouble. However, the Bosmer that they had met at the entrance was standing in the middle of the tunnel, staring down a tunnel leading off the one he was on. Before he could speak, a glint of metal flew into view and a throwing knife lodged itself in the Bosmer's throat.

He stared in shock as the Bosmer grasped at the knife, his mouth open but no sound coming out. The Bosmer bumped into the wall as he stumbled backwards and slumped onto the ground, a pool of blood forming around his head.

Coming to his senses, Orland dashed around the corner. Mara was looking over he shoulder at the dead Bosmer. Beyond her, Neros was facing a bloodied Tobias and smiling.

"Now then, you thought all I told you was because I was siding with you. Well, you're wrong. I'm not on your side anymore." Neros said calmly to Tobias.

"You said... you said you didn't betray your friends..." Tobias said, straining to even breathe.

"I don't. You, however, are not my friend any longer. You think I didn't know? You, Sethes, Miles, Raven, Fjorn... all five of my most trusted allies... you plotted behind my back to have me killed. Your little plan failed though, the Legion didn't kill me as you expected." Neros leaned over, gripping the hilt of the sword in Tobias' stomach. "And now that I have the chance... I'm going to kill you, and all those who turned on me. Farewell, Tobias."

Neros pulled the sword out of the wall, jerking it upward and slicing open Tobias' torso as he removed it. Tobias dropped to his knees, then collapsed face-first onto the ground, blood splattering across the dirt when he landed.

Mara looked away, her face turning rather pale as Neros whistled an unknown tune while wiping the sword clean on the upper back of Tobias' shirt, since it was the only part that hadn't been stained crimson.

"Neros... you're really sticking with us?" Orland wondered, walking past Mara and into the room.

Neros sheathed the sword, grinning at him. "I already told you. I'm with all of you until Sethes and the rest of them have fallen. You don't have anything to worry about until then."

"Right..." Orland mumbled, still not believing he would be that honest about his plan.

Heading over to a desk in the corner, Neros began pulling open the drawers and pulling out papers. "Now then, before this place becomes as organized as Sheogorath's mind, we should collect what we can. We may be able to find what we need in Tobias' old notes. He always was one to keep detailed records."

--

Jake paced in the large, center room where almost a dozen smugglers were arranging crates. If Neros had turned, news of them being knights hadn't spread. He glanced at his companions. Lance was looking around rather nervously, as if he was expecting the smugglers to all rush them at once. Val, on the other hand, just appeared to be bored. She obviously just wanted something to happen... most likely something involving violence.

"Jake!" A voice cried. Mara came running from one of the tunnels off from the room. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she stopped next to him. "We have to leave. Now."

Before he could ask why, he noticed Neros and Orland emerging from the same path Mara had come from. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Neros lost it." Mara whispered. "Tobias is dead, we have to get out of here before-"

The sound of clapping cut her off. "Attention, everyone! I have news!" Neros announced, walking into the middle of the room as the smugglers all turned to him, looking rather confused.

A Dunmer approached him. "What is this about?" Judging by his expression and tone as he spoke, he must have been someone in charge.

Neros simply smiled at him. "I already told you; I have news." He turned his back on the Dunmer, looking over the room. "Smugglers, thieves and various other outlaws. I'm here to inform you that I, Neros Drathal, old leader of this fine smuggling operation, have just murdered your current head, Tobias."

Neros placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "And if there are no objections..." he turned, unsheathing his sword as he went and decapitating the Dunmer that had been behind him in one swift movement. "I'll be doing the same to every last one of you, as well."


	4. Flighty Comrades

Blood stained the walls, floor and crates around the room. Bodies and limbs littered the ground, and in the midst of carnage were four of the five Imperial Knights with the most vicious Dunmer any of them had ever seen. Neros removed his sword from the torso of what had been the last living smuggler not a moment ago, the grin he had when the battle started still on his face. He looked down at his clothes, which were stained just as crimson as everything and everyone else in the room was.

"You know..." Neros began, sticking his sword into the ground and leaning on it. "...before I was locked up for so long, I could have killed them all on my own with a couple daggers and some throwing knives without getting a drop of red on my clothes."

"You're saying you managed all this and you're _rusty_?" Orland wondered.

"Not at all, I simply mean I need to procure some smaller blades." He replied, abandoning the bloody sword and striding over to one of the fallen pieces of smuggler that was still gripping a dagger.

"Rusty nothing, the guy's a psychopath!" Lance shouted, waving his spear at Neros. "I should skewer you for almost getting us killed!"

Neros glanced over his shoulder at Lance, grinning and twirling a bloodstained dagger between his fingers. "That seems unnecessary since we're all still very much alive. However, you are more than welcome to try. After all, you're the most expendable of our cheery little entourage."

"Why you-"

"Enough, Lance." Jake said sternly. "We're in one piece and we still need his help. It may be more difficult to find the other leaders now, but..."

"I know where they are. Three of them, at least." Neros said, moving on to loot another body. "You really think I wouldn't get some information out of Tobias before slicing him open? A psychopath I may be, but I have enough sense to know not to execute people while they still have some use."

"Which is why you didn't use the confusion of battle to kill one of us, we're still useful to you." Orland stated, watching him carefully.

"Now you're catching on!" He replied brightly, slipping a few throwing knives into his belt. "Shall we be off? Balmora and our second target are waiting."

"Balmora?" Jake wondered. "They've set up an operation in town?"

"No, no... well, there used to be one there. Just to the north. However, things turned rather bloody and nobody that survived wanted to work there anymore." He explained, making sure he had everything he wanted. "He's not in that place, anyway. According to Tobias' notes, he left the organization shortly after I was hauled into prison and joined the Temple there."

"The Temple..." Jake mumbled, glancing at the carnage around them. "...you can't do anything like this in a place like that."

"Yes, I thought you might say that. It's obvious you're no fun when it comes to mindless violence. A pity Val's not in charge."

Mara, who had been standing in silence with a horrified look on her face until that point, blinked. "W-Where is Val, anyway?" She stuttered.

As if to answer her, Val's voice boomed as she stepped into the cavern from one of the tunnels, just as drenched in gore as the rest of them. "That was the best fight I've had in ages! That bloody Captain of ours is always going on about restraint and such... the guy doesn't know what he's missing. Letting loose like that is just amazing!"

Neros grinned. "I think I know who I like most out of this group."

"Same here, you crazy bastard!" She said, slapping Neros on the shoulder with enough force to almost knock him over. "I may trust you as much as I would a kagoti, but I sure do like the way you do things!"

"Nice to know one of you appreciates my methods." He laughed, then looked at Jake "Now then... Balmora?"

Jake nodded and turned to leave, the other knights and Neros following after him.

xxx

They approached Balmora from the north since that's the side of town the Temple was on and they wanted to attract as little attention as possible. After a brief argument at the suggestion of only half of them going to the Temple, Jake ordered Mara, Val and Lance to wait for them on the outskirts.

Once they stepped into the Temple, they were greeted by a Dunmer in a simple brown robe. "Greetings travelers, it's nice to see so many new faces in here." He said with a smile. "I am Telis, if you have any questions I will do my best to help you."

"We're looking for someone, Breton by the name of Miles." Jake said blandly.

"Oh? Is he in trouble?" Telis wondered.

Neros chuckled, giving the Dunmer a wry grin. "He's an old friend of mine. Thought I'd surprise him."

"I see." Telis nodded. "Unfortunately, he is no longer with us."

Orland raised an eyebrow. "You mean he's..." His eyes drifted to one of the ash pits behind Telis.

The Dunmer noticed where his was looking and quickly shook his head. "Oh, no... I apologize, I did not mean to suggest that. I simply meant he has departed the Temple. Though after what happened, I suppose I can not blame him. However, that would be more appropriate for him to speak of. You should be able to find him in Balmora, try asking around the Eight Plates."

"Thanks, we're sorry to have bothered you." Jake said with a curt nod, before turning to depart.

As the other two followed, Orland frowned at Jake's back and sighed once Telis was out of earshot. "Always the same." He muttered.

"Tell me, Orland..." Neros began in a whisper. "...is our current leader allergic to relaxation, or was he tragically born without a sense of humor?"

"Possibly both." He replied with a shrug. "It could be a problem if he acts like that with any of the smuggling operations."

"I quite agree." The Dunmer said, crossing his arms. "Acting in such a manner, he may as well have 'Legion Knight' etched across his forehead."

Orland's voice turned grim. "You mean his personality could be the death of the mission, and of us..."

"Don't be foolish. I thought we were agreed the death of all of you would be me, once we finish the mission. I can't have any of you go and die before then." Neros said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Unless of course it's Lance, I wouldn't mind him dropping dead suddenly. Though I would regret missing the chance to torture him personally beforehand."

The Breton gave him a wary look. "I really wish I could tell when you're joking and when you're serious."

Neros smiled at him. "Why my dear Orland, I'm always serious."

xxx

The inside of the Eight Plates was crowded and noisy. The pair of knights were so focused on making sure they didn't knock anyone over trying to make it inside, they never noticed Neros slip away and out of the building.

"Honestly, what are they training knights these days?" He mused to himself, a habit he'd picked up from spending most of his time imprisoned in solitary confinement. It was lucky they didn't know exactly what Miles looked like, or they might have noticed him leaving the place as they approached. Still, that gave him the chance he needed to get his old friend alone for a little man to man chat.

Catching up wasn't hard, Miles was keeping a steady pace since he'd left the Eight Plates. Neros tailed him carefully, recalling how easy it was to spook the Breton. He was in no mood to have to chase the fool down. What struck him as odd was when Miles walked through the south gate and out of town.

Keeping as much of a distance as he could to stay hidden, Neros followed, curious about where he was heading. Down the road, past an egg mine, across a bridge over the river... before finally coming to a secluded little field half-covered in various type of flowers and plants.

_I see... he must be out here to collect alchemy ingredients._ Neros thought, peering at the Breton's back from behind a boulder.

"You can stop hiding, boss. I saw you when I was leaving the Eight Plates, so I know you must have come after me." Miles announced.

_Or perhaps not._ Stepping out from his hiding place, he began twirling a throwing knife in his right hand. "Boss? Well now, there's a title I haven't heard in quite some time. Brings back memories. Mainly ones of getting stabbed in the back, both literally and figuratively."

The Breton heaved a sigh. "I know. Ever since I heard you'd escaped... I knew you'd be coming after me and everyone else." His voice was shaking, as well as the rest of him, but he kept his back to Neros. "Once I saw you, I'd hoped I could make it here. Once you get it in your head to kill someone, there's no hope for them. At least here I can die somewhere nice."

A smirk crossed Neros' face. "You always were an odd one."

Miles chuckled. "You're one to talk. I could never tell what you were thinking or why you did some things. Testing your reflexes by dropping sharp things at your face, whistling cheerful tunes while you killed people, stabbing inventory notices..."

"You can stop anytime. Besides, I was locked up for a while. Who's to say I haven't changed a bit?"

"Right, sorry." He chuckled again, glancing over his shoulder. "You still do that, though."

Neros stared at him for a moment before realizing he was still twirling the knife around his fingers. "Yes, well, you can't easily stop habits. I often did this in prison when not practicing my whistling."

"You had one of those in your cell?"

"Of course not, they're very testy about that sort of thing. I was forced to use keys some of the guards happened to... misplace." Sliding the knife back into his belt before he threw it without thinking, he crossed his arms. "Now then, I believe we should chat about more pressing matters."

Miles swallowed hard, but nodded and turned to face him at last, still visibly trembling. "You're right. I told you I've been expecting this... so I've been sure to keep exactly what I'd need on me for when you turned up."

Neros raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you've got something planned?"

A nervous grin crossed the Breton's face. "I payed close attention to you when we worked together, even though you're nuts and I'm no fighter, I noticed a few things." Miles slipped his hand into his brown robe. "Things I'm hoping will work in my favor."

Smiling at his old ally's unexpected action, Neros unsheathed his dagger. "This should prove interesting."


End file.
